Category: CLUB VIEWS

From The Chair (March 2018)

Posted on | by Andy Slater

Who said January and February were the quietest months for bikers? It seems the mild weather has made riding a pleasure on some days and the amount of things going on in the club has meant that both of these winter months have been busy. The AGM and Moto-Jumble in January was swiftly followed by the formation of a working group to analyse the feedback we received from the Membership Survey and local teams have been meeting to discuss some new ideas.

The ten members of the Survey Working Group met for the first time in early
February and had a lively discussion, adopting some great ideas suggested by members as well as coming up with a few ideas of their own. This generated the Membership Survey Report, which is available to download from the website library. Now comes the hardest part: moving from talking about it, to doing it!

The first, and probably most difficult initiative, is to create a ‘Buddy’ system for new club members to not only help them understand the processes around St Crispin’s but to introduce them to a few people to help reduce that daunting feeling many have about coming along after they’ve first joined.

We thought that these ‘Buddies’ would best be Full Members, including those who may have only recently passed their test. We estimate we will need around 50 volunteers to support the system so
this is no small undertaking. Sarah Chandler, Green Team leader, has started to gather names of those willing to be a Buddy and to co-ordinate the process with Peter Brown of pairing up people over the next few months. If you fancy helping a new member by riding to St Crispin’s with them and showing them around for a few meetings please contact Sarah on the GT sign-in desk at St Crispin’s or via email at fullmembers@tvam.org.

The Red Zone, which we established as a meeting place for Associates, will also be developing. Can we move it to be closer to the Meet & Greet Team desk? Would short presentations about Advanced Riding by an Observer or maybe a chat about the new run report form be of interest to Associates? We hope to test these over the coming months.

Slipstream, this wonderful publication, came in for some comment with suggestions it would be even better with more varied content, some of it perhaps more technical. Last month we started the Dealer News page which we hope will continue to advise on the latest offers and events around the TVAM area. This month there’s the first of a series of short articles on the more refined aspects of Advanced Riding. Things you might have forgotten, never knew, or rarely actually do! Slipstream depends on member contributions so if you have some skill or knowledge you want to share let Salli know and get writing.

Demand for track skills days, courses, and trips remains high and we’re trying to address these with additional dates and more trips away. We’re also moving from a first-come, first-served, basis for bookings so we can more fairly balance the allocation of places to Associates and those who haven’t done the course/trip for some time. So no more using LL&R to scrub-in new tyres!

Finally, the Green Team monthly meeting and ride-out on the last Saturday of the month will be changing. Following the survey feedback the GT have decided to try moving their ride around each month. Local Teams will be asked to host a GT monthly run by providing a Run Leader and Back Marker. The start location, time, and destination of the run will be publicised in advance in Slipstream and on the calendar so look out for a GT run near you soon, or choose to ride some different roads by going along to one in a different area. GT runs are open to all Full Members, including Observers.

As usual in TVAM there’s lots going on, lots changing, and the season is only just getting started. So keep reading and ride safe!

From the Chair (October 2017)

Posted on | by Andy Slater

The Summer of ’17

How subtle the change in weather is. Through balmy June, July and August we get used to tee-shirts, summer gloves and, if you’re lucky enough, even airflow jackets. Then one day it’s a bit cooler and the long-sleeved shirt goes on, then it’s raining so the waterproof gloves come out and the airflow gets left behind.
Suddenly it’s a colder, misty ride to St Crispin’s and you realise the summer textiles will not be coming out again until next year.

Where did the summer go?

Great rides with great mates. Maybe nights away watching the sun go down with a beer or glass of wine with the buzz of the bike still in your ears as you share that ‘great’ overtake story. Laughter with mates over dinner, maybe in a warm market square in some foreign town. Sharing pics and banter on Facebook with those who aren’t there (to make them jealous? – surely not). The LLR, ABC or Track Skills day where you discovered things about your bike and yourself that you just didn’t think were possible! A Yorkshire foray…

That was the summer of 2017.

And then came 7Ws and Castle Combe……and so it goes on through the Autumn and Winter. TVAM is an all-year round club. Our Autumn seminars are coming up, firstly with Steve Parrish in early November, Austin Vince in late November, the AGM and MotoJumble in January, and so much more.

What, lay-up your bike for Winter? That‘ll be for those fair-weather riders, we’re Advanced Riders and we do it safely, systematically and smoothly – All Year Round. Only with more clothes on.

However, we shouldn’t move on without a big ‘Thank You’ to everyone who contributes to TVAM in offering their time and effort to bring all the things we’ve enjoyed this summer to fruition. The teams that run Look, Lean and Roll; Advanced Braking; Meet and Greet; Motorcycle Maintenance; the Observers and Observer Training Team and all the local Team Leaders who give of their time to keep things moving forward. And of course the Slow Riding competition, Rutland Rally, Team Challenge, 7W’s, Track Skills Days, and the numerous tours abroad.

There’s so much done by so many in such a short time.

Finally, I’d like to welcome both Sarah Chandler and Chris Brownlee who have been co-opted onto the Committee. Sarah as Green Team Leader is keeping us engaged with all the developments taking place in the team, including the new Ride On programme. Chris as Training Team Leader is, by default, Deputy Chief Observer so it’s important he’s involved with all the plans we’re laying for the future.
So have you bought your ticket for the Steve Parrish evening yet?

Andy Slater

Chairman

Pat Coneley Chief Observer TVAM

From the Saddle (September 2017)

Posted on | by Pat Coneley

That was the month that was, which is a vague reference to the political satire programme of the 60’s hosted by David Frost. In our case it refers to the August St. Crispin’s meeting where I made a total of 39 announcements, the highest ever for a single month. The achievement of a Pass, F1RST, Masters, Local Observer, National Observer or Trainee Observer is the result of a great deal of work, so well done to all.

TVAM also achieved a first in August, we were the first bike club to be permitted to hold a track event at Thruxton. As you may be aware, the IAM have been running Skills Days at Thruxton for several years for both cars and bikes. The bike days have proved to be very popular and as a result many TVAM members have been disappointed in not being able to book a place. It has taken considerable time to obtain the support of both the IAM and the Thruxton management, and on the 7th we jointly hosted a Skills Day for TVAM members only, with 68 riders and 15 TVAM Instructors.

I am pleased to report that the day was incident-free and we have had great feedback. All of the places were sold out within 24 hours of opening the webshop which suggests that there is a real demand for this type of training.

Although track-based training is historically not an area that the IAM have supported, I firmly believe that it adds real value to the road training that we do with our Associates. Being able to explore your own limits in the controlled environment of a track with a small group of like-minded riders and a high instructor/pupil ratio knowing that nothing is coming the other way is both confidence building and addictive. I would like to thank those involved from IAM RoadSmart, Wey Valley Advanced Motorcyclists, Rapid Training and all the TVAM Track Instructors who helped make it such a success.

I will be attending a meeting in October with IAM RoadSmart to discuss plans for 2018 and I hope to be able to schedule two dates for Thruxton next year in addition to the two Castle Combe days which are a regular feature of the TVAM calendar.

If you have ever attended St. Crispin’s you will no doubt, have been served by Monique Yallop at the coffee bar. Monique has been managing the facility for the last six and a half years and has decided to stand down from the position. Given the number of members who attend St. Crispin’s regularly I reckon that Monique’s team have dispensed something like 28,000 servings of tea/coffee and biscuits so she has certainly earned a rest. Thanks Monique, the coffee bar is an essential part of TVAM and your dedication to our Sunday sustenance has been much appreciated.

We are looking for someone to manage the team of ten volunteers and Monique has agreed to help manage the transition smoothly so if you think that this role would appeal to you please contact Monique or one of the Committee.

Safe riding and enjoy the last of the summer.

Safe Riding

Pat Coneley

Chief Observer

From the Chair (August 2017)

Posted on | by Andy Slater

By tradition, the summer months are the busiest in the riding calendar. Trips to the coast, ferries to far-off places and nights with mates drinking the local produce and eating generally superb food. Well, for Committee members it’s the same, off, away, outta here, not a care in the world, where’s the airstream jacket and sunscreen? Except that means of course doing the monthly committee meeting on Skype from hotel bedrooms, your sister’s study, or just before a business dinner complete with collar and tie. So just what has happened since the AGM in April? Quite a lot really…..

The most eye-catching was probably the Slow Riding event organised by David Jacobi in May. That was a fun day and the first event held at St Crispin’s on a Sunday afternoon. Well done David and all who competed, only next year make sure we don’t let those imposters from Wey Valley leave with the trophies.

The Green Team has just announced the Ride-On scheme, now in trial phase, which will enable any Full Member to continue to develop their riding skills. It’s seen as a real alternative for those who don’t have the time or inclination to be an Observer at this point.

We’ve announced that the price of club membership will drop by £1 for those paying by Direct Debit from November – our new financial year. Alright, it’s only four cups of coffee at St Crispin’s but what else of importance is going down in price just now?

We’ve had our first pass on the young riders Ride-Up scheme, where the club is sponsoring young riders to go through the Advanced Riding Course and take their test. This was our first attempt at putting back some of the club’s assets into helping those who we feel are most vulnerable on the road. We’ve also got a candidate who’s passed cross check, so expect a second pass to be announced soon.

The club is increasingly being asked to speak on motorcycle issues by the media, and we’ve appeared on the BBC South Today programme talking about potholes and twice now on Radio Berkshire.

We’re strengthening our relations with the motorcycle dealers in the area to raise awareness of who we are and what we do. We convinced the IAM to fund the Advanced Riding Course for the head of BMW Maidenhead, and in return they are now including the club’s flyer in every bike sales pack. We’re repeating this approach with independent dealer Hatfields of Crowthorne, who will also be present at St Crispin’s soon.

Chris Brownlee has been developing our relationship with Bucks County Council and their Be a Better Biker events, in conjunction with Bucks Fire & Rescue. The last event led to a request from the Reading Harley Owners Group to run a session just for them. In addition, Chris is coordinating our relationships with Bucks Fire & Rescue, Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue, and with the Metropolitan, Thames Valley and Hampshire Police Forces on the Police BikeSafe schemes.

Our Chief Observer Pat Coneley, the Training Team and numerous Observers have been working hard to qualify as either National or Group Observers. The momentum is really high as we move to the cut-off date at the end of this year for all Observers to be IMI qualified (Institute of the Motor Industry).

And we’ve just doubled the capacity of the very popular Look Lean & Roll course thanks to a new team of trainers.

Finally, we’ve agreed to bring forward the club’s next AGM from April to January. This means it will be only 3 months after the year-end, which is much more timely. It does mean though we’ll need the Team Leaders to produce their annual reports at the end of October so they can be included in the club’s annual report.

So thanks to everyone who’s supporting the club in which ever way you do. Enjoy the sun, the rides, the company, and come back safe.

Andy Slater

Chairman

Pat Coneley Chief Observer TVAM

From the Saddle (July 2017)

Posted on | by Pat Coneley

Hi all, it’s been a busy month at TVAM with the annual Observer Weekend in Wales where we had 57 Observers and Trainee Observers attending. The Observer Weekend which is partially subsidised by the club has three objectives, these are:
Communication – An opportunity to meet and discuss observing issues outside of our own teams.
Training – We discussed and trialed a new Run Report Form based on the IAM RoadSmart Run Sheet.
Reward – Thanks for the investment in time and money that Observers give to coaching Associates.

Currently TVAM is using a Run Report Form that is not compliant with current IAM RoadSmart standards and our status as a charity could be challenged if we remain non-compliant.

Following the training session on Saturday morning we all went out observing each other and using the new form on the wettest day I can recall in Wales. One of the feedback points was that we make the new form waterproof! The Training Team will be finalising the form soon and we will run several Observer evenings to train our Observer corps on the changes.

I was pleased to welcome 5 Trainee Observers to Wales, the weekend is a great opportunity for Observers new and not-so-new to learn from each other.

We also ran another Core Skills Day in June, this is a full day of training for new TObs and the start of their journey towards validation as a Local Observer.

TVAM currently has 17 TObs and as the club continues to grow there is a consistent demand for new Observers. The training is comprehensive, challenging and very worthwhile. If you have ever thought that you might like to find out more about becoming an Observer please contact one of the Training Team.

There is one issue that I felt should be discussed at the weekend, this is the consumption of alcohol on club social trips and the potential impact on our riding the following day. This is a sensitive issue and one that is the responsibility of the individual, however, as a Road Safety charity we should try to raise the awareness of the risks. Many of us enjoy the recreational aspect of TVAM and social drinking is part of our culture. This not something that the Committee wish to police so we would ask that all members drink responsibly on club events. We will be looking to provide some training to raise the level of drink driving or riding awareness in the future.

On a more positive note I am pleased to report that I managed to achieve a distinction on my IAM RoadSmart Masters test recently, this brings the total Masters count in TVAM to 5 with 3 Masters Mentors – Andy Wedge, Pete Dalgliesh and myself. We have several more members in preparation for the test so hopefully the number of Mentors will increase and we can provide more support for those wishing to prepare for the test.

The Masters is quoted by the IAM as the highest civilian riding and driving standard. Please contact one of the Mentors if you would like to find out more.

Safe Riding

Pat Coneley

Chief Observer

From the Chair (June 2017)

Posted on | by Andy Slater

I’ve been really lucky this last three weeks having been on a road trip around the western region of the USA. From San Francisco to Yosemite National Park, then across to Vegas and back to the coast via parts of historic Routes 66, 1, and 101 to Monterey.

What strikes you when driving in this part of the US are the contrasts. Between roads that could be in Wales with hills on both sides and glorious hairpin bends, to ones that go die-straight to the horizon; temperatures in the hills of 94F that dive to 58F at the coast just 10 miles away (I know, they use old money for temperature); living for a week at 6,000 feet in the high desert which is dead flat, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, then diving to 150 feet below sea level in Death Valley with a luna landscape of salt flats and heat haze.

Some of the roads are a biker’s dream – I remember 50 miles of perfect tarmac up a gradient with a never-ending series of long constant-radius curves going left then right, then left and right, with dreamlike views opening up across valley’s and mountains as we headed into Yosemite.

Then the nightmare of a 230 mile detour as the Tioga pass was closed due to snow and a 103 mile to-the-horizon dead-straight road on Interstate 395. Can you imagine driving the length of Wales without a bend or bump in sight?

Which brings me to Harley-Davidsons. Probably 9 out of 10 bikes we saw on the road were HDs. Now I’ve never really got Harleys before I did this trip. But in their natural environment, where the high street is the width of the M4 and the interstate goes on forever, they really are the machine of choice. Yes, we saw other types – BMW GSs were there in pairs, mainly ridden by guys in grey biker gear packing panniers and that round-the-world steely look. And a few sports bikers in leathers out for a ride in the hills before brunch. But when it came to rolling up to the Union Hotel, parking your ride and grabbing that cool beer, the mount of choice was most definitely the Harley.

 

Wherever you’re off to this summer, on whatever kind of bike, enjoy the ride and the companionship of your mates.

Be Safe

Andy Slater

Chairman

Pat Coneley Chief Observer TVAM

From the Saddle (May 2017)

Posted on | by Pat Coneley

I would like to open this month by thanking those of you that attended the March AGM and gave me the opportunity of being CO for another year. The role continues to be busy, challenging and very rewarding.

Like all organisations, TVAM needs to continually evolve to meet the needs of its members as well as those of the IAM to whom we are affiliated. We have recently seen this evolution in the IAM who have invested heavily in rebranding themselves as IAM RoadSmart as part of their aim to make themselves more relevant to the modern world. TVAM, which is the largest of the 200 or so IAM RoadSmart Groups plays a key part in delivering their product, the Advanced Rider Course formerly known as Skills for Life. TVAM also has a strong local brand of its own based on our excellent reputation resulting in a constant flow of new members who have heard about us and what we do.

Managing the demands of both organisations can be a challenge for the Committee and occasionally a source of conflict as we are all passionate about this club. You will have seen evidence of changes around the club with more emphasis on our involvement with IAM RoadSmart in our documentation, website and this magazine. The next change will be the introduction of a new Associate Run Report Form which the Training Team are redesigning to conform with the look and feel of the IAM RoadSmart brand, while continuing to capture the details essential to the smooth running of TVAM. We are planning to introduce the new form at the Observer Weekend in June. None of these changes will compromise what TVAM is all about – Better Biking.

The TVAM Skills Day at Thruxton sold out within hours of going live on the web shop. It is good to see how popular the event is and apologies to all who missed out. We will be looking to add more events like this to the TVAM Calendar in future.

There are changes in the faces too, Andy Slater as Chair and Adrian Ellison the new TVAM Secretary are getting to grips with their new roles as well as Sarah Chandler the new Green Team leader. They will bring energy and ideas and I am looking forward to working with them.

My work in Road Safety occasionally brings some perks and recently I had the opportunity to attend an event which included a seminar held by Thatcham Research, the insurance-backed company involved in the NCAP (new car assessment programme) testing of new vehicles. The level of technology that will be incorporated into the next generation of cars is staggering as they evolve closer to fully autonomous driving. This led me to make the obvious comparison to motorcycles where most of the development has been in horsepower. There are exceptions of course, and ABS, which is now standard on all new bikes is a good example, but why is there no NCAP rating for bikes? I did also get to experience the acceleration available in a Tesla S – 0 to 60 in sub 3 seconds!

Safe Riding

Pat Coneley

Chief Observer

From the Chair (April 2017)

Posted on | by Andy Slater

Well, I guess it wasn’t really a surprise that I found myself appointed Chairman at the end of the AGM last month. My past year as Vice-Chair supporting David Jacobi opened my eyes to all the great work that goes on within TVAM, and yet there still seems to be lots to do. The club is always moving forward and evolving, which is how we keep it fresh and interesting. 

I’m keen this year for the club to give more back to Full Members. They make up the largest single group within the club and, whilst ensuring that there is plenty for this group to engage in, that there is also help to retain and improve advanced riding skills beyond social runs. Sarah Chandler is taking over the Green Team and she has some great ideas for things she wants to introduce and I’m sure we’ll hear more from her soon.

One of the few things I expected within a couple of hours of becoming Chairman was to receive a letter of complaint from a member of the public about the riding standards displayed by one of our social rides. He’d been passed by 8 or 9 TVAM bikers who were apparently overtaking on blind bends and crests in the road. Not something he thought we should be doing as an Advanced Group.  And, yes, it was a TVAM run as the back marker was wearing a TVAM vest!

Having spoken with the run leader and knowing a number of the people on that particular ride I was somewhat surprised as none of them ride recklessly or unsafely, indeed the opposite could be said. What we determined was the particular road in question is undulating and has low hedges and banks down the sides. The height of adventure-style bikes gives a view from the saddle that is very different from that of the average car. Indeed, combined with the performance these bikes now have, an advanced rider could have the view and have completed a safe overtake before the car driver has even got a view of the road ahead. What we seem to have is a case of perception; that what was happening appeared to be unsafe, probably heightened by 8 or 9 bikes all roaring past with little separation.

The lesson here is probably that what is safe and perfectly normal for us on our high performance and, possibly loud bikes, can be perceived to be aggressive and unsafe by other road users. Our aim is to make progress without inconveniencing or upsetting other road users. Perhaps we need to have in mind how others might perceive our riding as we wind our way through traffic as a group on our next social run. Let’s be proud to be TVAM!

Enjoy the ride, be safe.

Andy Slater

Chairman

Pat Coneley Chief Observer TVAM

From the Saddle (March 2017)

Posted on | by Pat Coneley

With Spring just around the corner, TVAM is gearing up for another busy biking season. 7Ws is already oversubscribed, so if you have missed a place this time don’t forget to look out for the Autumn dates here in Slipstream and on the website.

The Rutland Rally, a new weekend trip for members with less experience of motorcycle touring is also fully booked and a few of us will soon be making an exploratory trip to the area to check out some of the great biking roads around Rutland Water.

On the training side of TVAM, we held a second Observer Day at the Coppid Beech Hotel recently with 90 plus Observers and TObs attending a full day of workshops followed by a keynote session by Ian Edwards an industry leader on the psychology of rider and driver training.

By the time this copy of Slipstream goes to print the Training Team will have run the first of three Core Skills Days being held this year for potential new Observers. The CSD is a mandatory one-day training experience for all new TObs before they start their on-the-road training under the watchful eye of a TVAM Mentor. Mentors are National Observers selected for their coaching skills and I am pleased to announce that we have 4 new Mentors this month so my thanks go to Geoff Pretty, Dave Parsons,  Peter Dowlen and Kevin Buchta for taking on this important role.

New Observers are the life-blood of TVAM. As we continue to attract new Associates it is vital that we have Observers available to train them and during the summer months we struggle to meet the demand. Peter Browne who looks after Allocations does a great job with this but he needs more Observers. Only once in TVAM’s history have we had to close the doors to new members and the Committee would hate to be in this position again.

Becoming an Observer is one of the most rewarding activities in the club. TVAM does set high standards for observing but also provides a depth of support during the training. If you feel that you might like to be the proud owner of a gold badge, have a chat to any of the Training Team to find out more.

On a more sobering note, I have recently learned of Sam Doble’s racing incident on track at Catalunya, Spain. Sam is one of our younger Observers in the CLAMs, a passionate track enthusiast and regular with the LLR Team. Those of you who know Sam will not be surprised to hear that in spite of multiple injuries, he has not lost his sense of humour and is in regular contact. We all wish him a speedy recovery.

After months of negotiating with the DVSA over access to the Greenham Test Facility to run an additional Look Lean Roll course I have been informed that planning regulations restrict the use of the site and that we will not be granted access. This is a disappointment, however we have been allocated extra days at the current Farnborough site and I am pleased to announce that Mel Hakhnazarian has agreed to lead a new LLR Team to fill the extra dates. Once the new team has had time to organise and train the various roles we will be offering extra dates on the webshop for this popular course.

It is hard to believe that with the AGM this month I will be standing for re-election to my third year as CO of this great club. The last two years seem to have flown by and the role continues to be an honour as well as a huge challenge and I would like to thank everyone for their support.

One of the prominent news items of late has been the increase in the penalty for mobile phone offences from £100 to £200 and six penalty points rather than three. Many of the Road Safety organisations including IAM RoadSmart have joined in with campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers posed by distracted drivers on our busy roads but there has been little mention of distracted bikers.

It is worth noting that the rules relating to mobile phones and drivers apply equally to riders and we are seeing an increasing use of wired or Bluetooth connected smartphones and satnavs on bikes. Please be mindful that touching a device in a cradle can lead to a prosecution if seen by a Police Officer. I am not aware of this happening yet so please let us make this one area that TVAM does not lead the way!

Finally this month, I would like to give a special thanks to Richard Tickner who has decided to hang up his bronze badge after many years as a National and former Senior Observer, Radio Validator, Committee Member and all round good egg. I hope Richard enjoys a well-earned rest and continues to enjoy TVAM.

Pat Coneley

Chief Observer

London Motorcycle Show (March 17)

Posted on | by Nick Tasker

The London Motorcycle Show is the one I almost never think I’ll attend. Coming just a couple of short months after the trinity of Intermot, EICMA and Motorcycle Live, it’s always going to suffer a little bit from show-fatigue. Whereas the big European events give you the chance to see the latest machinery just days after the press, and Motorcycle Live is the one everyone goes to because it doesn’t require international travel, the London show doesn’t usually offer anything you haven’t seen before.

And yet, after spending the coldest, darkest, and these days, wettest months, either fighting the weather on the way to work or wistfully dreaming of drier days to come, it’s easy to see why so many of us jump at the chance to nip into town and spend another whole day fantasising about what two-wheeled wonder we’ll certainly save up for next.

 

This year I had an additional motive for attending. Two female friends of Rosa and myself, one prepping for her CBT and the other considering a return to biking after many years away, would be joining us. Bringing two newcomers to a modern motorcycle show must be like taking a pair of children to Disneyland for the first time. They want to look at everything, sit on everything, and ask questions about everything. And the excitement is infectious.

 

Some of us have been riding so long that we can take the basics for granted, but to these two, Suzuki’s new GSX-S125 was the most exciting thing they’d seen in years. Do any of you remember shopping for your first helmet or gloves? Turns out it’s pretty damn exciting.

 

It was also interesting attending a motorcycle show with three short women, particularly after Louise Dickinson’s seminar at the Observer Training Day on the challenges finding small, light bikes for those significantly shorter than six feet tall. I led the procession through the various manufacturer stands, pointing out the bikes I thought they might find interesting, or at least useable.

 

And you know, it’s funny – if you spend a day ignoring the high-powered exotica and focus on the smaller stuff you realise that the 200-500cc class has really exploded in recent years, both in choice and quality. I remember ignoring bikes like the Kawasaki Ninja 250 when I was learning to ride. It was cheap and nasty, both aesthetically and in workmanship.

 

But the new Ninja and Z300s are as premium as you like, with quality paint, fittings and parts. Ignore the obvious power deficit and the KTM Duke 390 gives up precious little on its bigger brothers, and Yamaha’s new R3 and MT-03 twins are clearly designed to instill as much pride of ownership as any R1 or MT-10. What’s more, weights are down and power is way up compared to the older generation of post-test tedium. These machines are pushing 44 horsepower at the top end, while barely weighing twice that of the average rider. You tell me that doesn’t sound like fun!

 

Even better, if you’ve spent the last few years coming to the conclusion that £10,000 is the new normal for large-capacity all-rounders, discovering that you could buy two 300cc bikes with change to spare is a revelation, and a real threat to one’s impulse control. PCP payments on bikes that cheap are barely more than the average phone bill…

 

This is really great news for Rosa and her friends. None of them are scared of speed or power, but it isn’t anywhere near as attractive to them as low weight, seat height and price. The fact that there’s more choice than ever for shorter riders can only be good news for all of us. I’ve never been more optimistic about the future of biking than seeing how surprised and excited these women were at discovering that motorcycling wasn’t just for tall, rich men.

And then MCN almost went and ruined the whole thing by showing up with a bunch of stick-thin models in skin-tight lycra, posing for photographs around their booth. Not a great way to make my female friends feel like they were welcome at the two-wheeled party. It was almost enough to make them want to cross the hall to the bicycle and fitness show instead, where women are treated as customers rather than eye candy.

But all in all, it was a great day out, for us and our friends. One has her new helmet, the other has fallen in love with Triumph’s new T100, and I’m trying to figure out if I could squeeze a Kawasaki Z300 in the garage. It is Rosa’s birthday soon…

Nick Tasker

MY NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH THE BOYS IN BLUE

Posted on | by Salli Griffith

Last November I sat down with my Associate for a run debrief over a cup of tea in the Fox and Hounds. We got talking about his day/night job as a Police Sergeant stationed at Bracknell. I mentioned to him that one of my ambitions in life was to ride in a police car with lights and sirens going in a high-speed chase. I didn’t think much of it until Peter said, “No worries, I’ll sort the paperwork out and be in touch”. Well, true to his word, a few weeks later I heard from Thames Valley Police asking which dates I’d like to go and that they would run background checks to make sure I wasn’t some kind of unsavoury character!

One of the dates given was New Year’s Eve. In my younger days I was more likely to be in the back rather than the front of a police car on that date, but these days with a young son, I’m more likely to be on the sofa with Jools Holland and a beer. I turned up eager as a beaver for 4.30pm at Bracknell Police Station to be greeted by my Associate. I came prepared with a large tin of biscuits which went down well with the other 12 officers. We started with a team brief video linked with Loddon Valley station, as between them they cover parts of Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell and the outskirts. After a rundown of all the bad people to look out for and 999 calls they’ve logged, we were out doing the P.O.W.D.E.R checks on the car.

I was paired up with my Associate. His Sergeant role is to lead and support his officers in Bracknell. We started the evening patrolling the streets of Bracknell in our trusty Astra (with a bit of a shuddery reverse gear) listening to the radio for various calls coming in about dodgy BMW driving and 125’s without lights.

My ambition was finally fulfilled at 8pm when we put on the blue flashing lights and sped out of Bracknell and down the A329M on the look-out for a Mini that had nearly hit a police van and then failed to stop. Tucking into a layby near St Crispin’s School we lay in wait but sadly it evaded us this time. Fortunately, a few hours later, one of the team in an unmarked car found the Mini driving around erratically and the chase ensued. Other traffic units from Reading got involved and we excitedly parked up on J11 motorway bridge waiting for the car to come past us and be pulled. Travelling at a dangerously slow 40mph on the motorway the Mini finally pulled into Reading Services for fuel and was apprehended. So no stingers or high-speed stopping manoeuvres this time, but still really interesting to listen in on how everyone pulls together.

You may be thinking what has all this got to do with our bike club? Well, other than an extremely interesting night for myself, I wanted to write a small piece on what an excellent job the police do in protecting our lives. If you ever have to call them I’ve seen first-hand how quickly they react and with such professionalism. I’ve also attended Bike Safe courses as I’m sure many of you have, and they always recommend joining TVAM. The Observer core are trained by ex or serving Police riders and the National Observers are examined by ex-police riders. All in all, the Police are involved with us, and I for one feel safer because of it.

If you are interested in becoming a Civilian Observer and wearing a rather fetching fluorescent jacket for the night, this is something that the Police offer to the general public. Go to their website to find out more. Just don’t ring 999 for information, or quick as a flash, you could end up with 3 police cars outside your house!

Andy Boudier

After a few more jobs called ‘immediates’, which involve charging round the roads on blues and twos getting to the destination as fast as is safe to do so, it was really clear to see the similarities between advanced bike riding and police response driving. Obviously, we, the general public aren’t permitted to go over the speed limit or pass through red lights gaining a clear vision line which is absolute key to making progress. It was also amazing how many drivers didn’t know what to do when a siren approached them and just stopped in stupid places.

The night got even more exciting when we were called out to a dodgy estate at 3am where a man known to the police had been reported trying to run over a woman. When we arrived there was an abandoned car which had hit a bollard and had blood over the steering wheel. The police where doing a great job managing the scene, talking to witnesses who also claimed this guy had threatened to burn down a house. An operation to apprehend the suspect was put in place but unfortunately for me this was a job for the next shift. I returned back to the station for a debrief and an interesting insight into the police crime database.

Pat Coneley

From the Saddle (January 2017)

Posted on | by Pat Coneley

Happy New Year everyone. I hope you all enjoyed the festive season and are looking forward to a new biking year. It may still be winter outside but spring is not far away, although I am writing this on the 1st of January with a log fire burning and no plans to go anywhere today.

As is often the case, the deadline for my Slipstream copy is overdue, and even though our editor Salli is in California for the winter I can still feel her breathing down my neck! In some ways it is a bit like advanced riding – all in the planning.

On reflection, I feel that 2016 has been a year of highs and lows, with some exciting new initiatives such as the TVAM RideUp Scholarship for younger riders and the December Motojumble. The club membership continues to grow towards 1000 with a high level of member retention as well as new Associates joining us.

We have also seen some changes at our St. Crispin’s monthly meets, with the introduction of The Red Zone, a place for Associates to meet and discover more about TVAM. The Green Team continues to grow and their support in the running of St. Crispin’s as well as organising the social runs is invaluable. The Group Riding Skills and Pillion Rider Courses add real value by providing activities and training for Full Members.

If you have read the TVAM Annual Report you may have noted that of the 100 test passes achieved in the period Nov 2015 – Oct 2016, 16 passes were at F1RST level. This compares very well with most other IAM RoadSmart Groups and the IAM’s expectation of only 5% F1RSTS.

All this was brought into stark contrast by the tragic news of Chris Arnold’s untimely death while leading a social run in France. This only serves to remind us of the risks that we all accept and the importance of always riding to the highest standard that we can.

Looking forward to 2017, the major challenge for myself and the Training Team is in supporting existing TVAM Group Observers in their preparation for the IAM RoadSmart National or Local Observer assessments. The deadline for this is January 1st 2018, so there is much to do. It has been my personal aim to expand the track skills training offered to our members, and I am pleased to confirm that we will be running a joint TVAM/IAM RoadSmart event at Thruxton Circuit this August. This will involve a classroom theory session followed by 20 minutes of track time in small groups with a TVAM Track Instructor and a debrief in each hour. The Thruxton event will be in addition to our regular TVAM Days at Castle Combe.

At a much slower pace there will be a Slow Riding Competition at St. Crispin’s in the afternoon following the May meeting, a chance to watch some of us embarrass ourselves riding a 125 around an obstacle course very slowly.

On a final note, I find it hard to believe that the March AGM will mark the end of my second year as Chief Observer, it is without doubt the most engaging and challenging role I have ever undertaken and if elected in March I look forward to another year at the helm of the best bike club in the world.

 

Pat Coneley

Chief Observer

Pat Coneley

From the Saddle (October 2016)

Posted on | by Pat Coneley

It is with a feeling of deep sadness that I open my regular Slipstream column with a tribute and goodbye to Chris Arnold following his tragic death while motorcycling in the French Mountains. Chris was leading his final tour with a group of friends from TVAM when his motorcycle left the road and he was killed instantly.

By the time you read this, Chris’s funeral will have taken place on the 12th of October. It was the wish of his wife and three daughters that the funeral be a small personal affair with just family and close friends present.

I know that many of us who have ridden with Chris on his regular social runs and European tours would like to pay our respects so the book of condolences started last month, will be left at the Green Team desk for the next couple of St. Crispin’s meetings. Please take the time to drop by and record your thoughts. We will present the book to Chris’s family in due course.

The Committee arranged a floral tribute sent on behalf of all TVAM members.This sad news highlights both the risks that we are all exposed to and the value of the training we offer at TVAM.

On the subject of training, one of the areas that has perhaps been overlooked by all of the advanced training bodies is the major effect that we as humans have in the causation factors relating to Road Traffic Incidents. This is known as ‘human factors’ and has been the subject of much research in the Road Safety and Aviation worlds. The IAM’s new Advanced Riding Course has a prominent section on this, and we will be running a workshop session on this subject at next year’s Observer Training Day on the 11th February at the Coppid Beech in Bracknell.

Don’t forget the Autumn Seminar Series is starting with an evening with Rapid Training on the 2nd November at the Masonic Hall in Wokingham. Many of you will recall Gary Baldwin’s irreverent take on crash investigation and advanced riding. It will be both entertaining and politically incorrect – a not to be missed event for all members! Gary heads up Rapid Training who conduct the bi-annual riding skills check on all TVAM Observers. (See page 24).

Ride Safe and enjoy the last few days of Autumn sunshine before the clocks go back.

Pat Coneley

Chief Observer

Why do I do it? (October 2016)

Posted on | by Andy Slater

I started riding powered bikes on my 16th birthday – well, mopeds as that’s all we were allowed back in ’73.  On my 17th birthday though, I splashed out and bought my first real bike – a Honda CB175. This was a necessity at the time as, living in rural Suffolk, getting to work for 7:45 each morning meant a 20-mile ride each way, in all weathers. Somehow, back then, they didn’t seem able to make waterproof clothing that wasn’t made of plastic sheeting so you either arrived wet from rain, or sweat….Belstaff’s – who could afford those?

The Honda was a great little bike that rev’d its nuts off to about 14,000 rpm but ran out of power from around 7,000 by which time all 20 horses inside were already down the road panting. Needless to say, that bike only lasted until I passed my full bike test 3 months later. The test in those days was riding round the block whilst the examiner flitted about hiding behind lampposts and jumping out on you for the emergency brake test. There was a slow-riding part, meaning you had to keep your feet off the ground whilst he walked alongside you for 20 metres in a straight line and then a few highway code questions. Darwin principles applied back then and your learning curve was what your mates told you or what you discovered when you fell off.

So with a ticket to ride, the question was whether to buy British, with the accompanying oil slick, or go Japanese? By ’74 the age of the superbike had dawned – Honda’s CB750 was well established, and of course Kawasaki had the Z1 900 along with their screaming super two-stroke triples. But in sleepy Suffolk few of these dream machines had found their way into the second-hand market or – more likely – my budget range. So it was a ’71 Yamaha YR5 350cc two-stroker that I rode out of the dealers. The YR5 was the fore-runner of the, now, infamous RD350. The only difference was the RD had reed-valves on the inlet ports and a few extra horses. So similar were they that, a year later, I acquired an RD350 engine from a crashed bike (there were lots of those around!) and dropped it into my YR5 frame. I sold my original to a friend who swapped it for his 250 engine even though he didn’t have a full licence – after all who could tell? The Yam would thrash my mates’ Norton 500s and could top a ton on the Yoxford straight (err, apparently).

I kept on bikes for quite a few more years as I couldn’t afford a car and I preferred biking anyway. Even when the car did come along the Yam was still there in a friend’s barn to be ridden at weekends. It was eventually swapped for a DT175 trail bike so a mate and I could go off-roading around the pine forests and sand dunes near the coast at Dunwich. However, like most of us, other things and sports took over my life. I became a Cat D skydiver, which was expensive, and I married and had a family, which was almost as expensive – so the bike had to go.

It was only as recently as 2009 that a neighbour of mine persuaded me to climb onto one of his bikes and to ride out with him and his wife to Marlborough on the A4. Woohoo….I remember these…..’Can we pick up the pace a bit?’ I asked. (It was also the first time I got a parking ticket on a bike!) Thanks Pat (our Chief Observer) and Amanda for a great day out and for, possibly, changing my life!

So I joined TVAM and, within 6 months, four motorcycles stood in the garage. I passed my advanced test later that year (not on the first attempt I have to say – so keep the faith all of you who think it’s hard – it is, but it’s worth it). Then someone suggested I might like to become an Observer. Sure enough, a year later, with help from some great mates including Colin Wheeler, I collected my gold badge. Helping other riders have ‘light-bulb’ moments is, for me, one of the best things about observing. Quite how that led to me being elected as Chairman of the Bottys (now The BAR) I can’t remember, but the club, the local teams, and the friends I’ve made have all provided some unforgettable memories.

So wanting to put more back into this great club I’m currently working with the rest of the committee to bring forward some new ideas and events to keep the club moving forward. The most important one for me is to launch a scheme aimed at young riders who have recently passed their A2 (or above) test. The club has agreed we can sponsor 25 riders under 30 years of age to get them through their advanced test. This is a group of riders we, as a club, have a poor record of engagement with, yet they are probably at the highest risk on the road due to a combination of inexperience, youthful enthusiasm, and multiple episodes of ambition exceeding ability. You’ll hear more of this as we start to promote it. We’re also trying the Moto Jumble in December so dig out that old kit and bring it along to St Crispin’s.

Hope to ride with you soon.

Andy Slater

Deputy Chairman

Spanish Raid (October 2016)

Posted on | by Salli Griffith

What a trip! It all started with an email earlier in the year from Alan Mossman, informing us of an upcoming trip in September to the Picos de Europa in Northern Spain. We have been on a handful of trips with the bike in in the past couple of years but this particularly appealed to me as we would be in one hotel for the five days. We did some research on the area and immediately got in touch with Sue Kennedy who signed us up. We were amazed at how reasonable it was too. I had some reservations about the ferry trip as the Bay of Biscay has a reputation for being a little choppy at times, however, we had pretty smooth crossings both ways.

On the day of departure, Ian and I set off after lunch and took the usual scenic route via the Meon Valley and meandered down to Portsmouth. We arrived in plenty of time and met up with the rest of the group – 17 in total with 15 bikes and one car. Many of the group were seasoned ‘Raiders’, whereas this was our first experience. I was initially disappointed as I was the only pillion, but Kate, the owner of that lovely Mazda, did also ride two up.

There were a lot of bikes on the ferry and it took a while to get them loaded and strapped down. Then it was time to settle into our surprisingly spacious cabin and explore the decks. Sue had booked us all into the ’a la carte’ restaurant that evening and we had a lovely buffet meal which also proved a great opportunity to get to know our fellow Raiders. It felt more like a cruise liner, with some of the older guests dressing up for dinner.

After a restless night’s sleep and a day at sea, we arrived at Santander about an hour later than scheduled as dusk was falling. Sue informed us that, ideally, we should be through the gorge before dark. No one had mentioned a gorge…in the dark! We made haste to reach our hotel, the Hotel Infantado. Not the usual venue for this trip, but I was very impressed with the rooms, food and location – just over 1 kilometre from Potes itself. Once again, Sue did a magnificent job of booking a table for dinner in the hotel restaurant for us all that evening.

We awoke to a fairly chilly, cloudy morning but the view from the room was fabulous. We were looking forward to our first Picos ride out and we were not disappointed. The area itself was absolutely stunning – breathtaking views wherever we went. I cannot count how many times I said, “wow”. At one point, we stopped at a beautiful village which clung to the side of a cliff. It was like something out of a fairy tale, complete with pretty waterfall which cascaded into a ‘blue grotto’ on the opposite side of the road. It was hard to imagine that this was Spain, being more used to the ‘Costas’.

Day two was as equally brilliant, although somewhat different, to that of the previous day. There were numerous reservoirs, dams and fabulous open, twisty roads. We felt a slight disappointment on reaching a view point to find it still shrouded in cloud but, as we meandered back down the mountain, the clouds soon dispersed, revealing the views beyond.

I decided to take a rest on day 3 as being pillion takes a toll on my back. Plus, I thought Ian would enjoy the ride more without my weight on the bike, as well as some peace and quiet with the earpiece switched off. I watched the group depart and, after a coffee on the terrace, I noticed the hotel staff were busy preparing for a wedding. I wandered into Potes and took in the sights and the shops in this very pretty little town. As I walked back, an elderly Spanish man spoke to me and said, “Que calida?” (“Isn’t it hot?”). I replied that it was very hot (in Spanish) and felt pleased with myself. My spanish is a bit rusty, but it did come in handy on occasion (although I have since forgotten the word for brake fluid). I decided to make up my own baguette (bocadillo) and took it back to hotel. By the time I got back, the wedding guests were starting to arrive, so to keep out of the way I headed for the pool with my ‘picnic’ and book. I had the whole place to myself. Bliss!

Sometime later, the rest of our group began to return and I was eager to hear of their day’s riding. They had seen lots more gorgeous scenery and pretty little mountain villages, by all accounts. Although I felt a little disappointed to have missed that, I was glad to have had the opportunity to explore Potes, which was equally picturesque, with its stunning mountain backdrop, its pretty river with arched bridges, and its cobbled backstreets.

Sunday was a ‘rest’ day for everyone to do what they wanted. Steve and Kate persuaded me to brave the cable car and I didn’t regret it. The views were spectacular. There were some very brave goats on the top too. Ian and I then decided to check out the gorge we’d ridden through in near darkness upon our arrival. It was pretty impressive and I hadn’t realised how long it was either.

I was really sad to leave the Picos and have taken away some very fond memories of the rides, scenery and especially the people in our group. What a great bunch of guys and gals! We had some real laughs along the way – the multi-coloured gins contributed! It was also our 30th anniversary during the trip.

A great big ‘thank you’ to Sue for her magnificent organisation, Steve and Kate Warren for great ride leading, and Salli for leading and back marking, particularly for the ride back to Santander via that fabulous coastal route. Thanks also to the rest of the 2016 raiders for making it so memorable: Tony and Simon (what a couple!), Julian, Steve S, Chris, Sid, Issy, Kelly, Ray (aka Kelly’s Dad), Mike, Andy and last but certainly not least, thanks to Ian for putting up with me on the back of the bike (note to self: keep the volume down when shouting through the earpiece), and for his patience with me not quite mastering the art of packing lightly – although I’m getting better at it!

Sue, please sign us up for the next one, preferably in 2017 though, as I can’t wait 2 years! I hope you decide to use the Hotel Infantado again too. It was in a great location and had good facilities. Anyway, we have a few more gins to try out. Oh and Tony – don’t forget your torch!

Roll on the next Raid!

Julie Colville (pillion for the moment)

The wrong kind of salt (October 2016)

Posted on | by Salli Griffith

Trying to achieve 400mph on two wheels was never going to be easy. Racing the Isle of Man TT or the Dakar Rally is hard, but they’re more about endurance and consistency than they are about breaking new ground. It’s all been done before and you’re following in brave footsteps, aiming to beat the next man on the road – but pointing a 25ft, 1000bhp streamliner down a featureless salt strip at 400mph is a trip into the unknown. Nobody really knows what’s going to happen. But that’s also the thrill; both physically and from a technical point of view – you’re going where nobody has been before.

To quote the most famous salt pioneer of all time, Burt Munro, “You live more in five minutes flat-out on a bike than most people do in a lifetime.” And that’s why thrill-seekers and pioneers have been chasing land speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats since 1914.

The desolate 40 square miles of dry lake bed isn’t a nice place to spend your time. There’s no shade, and no escape from the heat, but – as the record breakers will testify – land speed record attempts require a huge amount of patience, the conditions have to be perfect. That means sitting on the salt for days on end – waiting. The salt has to be rock solid, the wind has to be under 3mph and the bike has to be running absolutely perfectly. But conditions aren’t perfect. The crusty salt is too soft in places, recent rain having pooled into localised lakes, before evaporating back into the endless skies. It’s not baked hard, and that means trouble.

The FIM require the bike, and Guy to jump through hoops, resulting in another flurry of activity as a bike inspection leads to modifications required to satisfy racing regulations. Guy has to be able to exit the Streamliner unaided within 30 seconds, and having squeezed himself into the fuselage, he manages an exit again in just 15 seconds. Now he just needs to post a 300mph run to get the green light from the FIM to go for the record. Surely that’s easy? Guy nailed the Streamliner down the salt at 274.2mph just a few weeks earlier after barely more practice than you’d get test riding a bike from your local dealer.

The salt won’t give up its speed that easily. While being towed down the course for a sighting shakedown the Rocket gets caught in a rut, and turns over, sliding on its right hand side like a million-pound carbon fibre slug. Guy’s out in seconds, unharmed, but the spill means a return to the pits. Again, we wait. Days pass like this. Dawn on Sunday 9th October looks promising, and again the team run through the insanely convoluted process of readying the Rocket. Guy climbs in, the FIM are ready to observe, and he’s off under his own power. It looks good for around a mile, and then suddenly the Rocket is sideways, and sliding down the salt on its side again.

It’s an ignominious end to the attempt – but time has run out, and the Infor Rocket Streamliner needs too much attention to make it possible that they can get out again any time soon. It’s over, it’s time to leave the salt and regroup, to wait for another window of opportunity, to wait for perfection. Lady luck wasn’t on the team’s side this time.

“It’s all part of the job boy, isn’t it? Feeling our way,” said Guy. “I guess if it was an easy thing to do everyone would have done it by now. So we’ll get a plan sorted and get on with the next go at it as soon as we get the chance.”

(From MCN report) 

 

Pat Coneley

From the Saddle (August 2016)

Posted on | by Pat Coneley

TVAM members have been in the news of late with an article in the magazine ‘My Weekly’ about women bikers and featuring our very own Lyn Allen. As a member of TVAM since 1991 and an ex-Observer with 10 IAM test passes as well as being a Look, Lean & Roll instructor, Lyn has made a significant contribution to the success of our club, so it is great to see her recognised in the media.

Also in the news this week are TVAM Observers Andy Smith and Iain James, with a mention in ‘IAM Inform’ the weekly update from the IAM, celebrating their National Observer awards following their successful assessments with Shaun Cronin, the Regional Quality Manager (RQM). Both Andy and Iain
described the assessment as being enjoyable and challenging so our congratulations go to them both. Andy’s account of his experience will be in Slipstream next month. This brings TVAM’s total of Observers qualified to the IMI National standard to 24. As with all IAM Groups we have until January 2018 to achieve IMI accreditation at Local or National level of all our Observers.

If you were at the last St. Crispin’s Sunday, you would have seen some new red banners in the main hall. These denote the Red Zone, a place for Associates to meet and chat in the hope that St. Crispin’s might be a less bewildering environment for newer members. The Red Zone has been set up in response to the Membership Survey which highlighted the need for a dedicated space for Associates. Since the introduction last month the response to this has been very positive, so please let us know what you think.

You may also see some of us wearing new orange badges, these identify TVAM’s Social Run Leaders. Social Rides have long been the mainstay of TVAM activities and a key contributor to TVAM’s high level of membership retention. The committee recognises the time, effort and fuel that run leading demands and wanted that to be honoured. The orange badge will be awarded to those successfully completing the Run Leader element of the Group Riding Skills Course. We will also award the badge to experienced, current run leaders. Leading a social run can be hugely rewarding when it all goes well and like many things the secret is in the planning, and to help with this the Green Team have developed a comprehensive training day which covers Group Riding Skills, Run Leading, Back Marking and includes a practical exercise. The next course is on the 17th September at Thatcham Football Ground, I’ll be attending and I hope to see some of you there.

On a more sobering note, the 2015 DfT Road Casualty Statistics have recently been released. These are an annual report of the number of fatalities and injuries on our roads for all road users, and have been produced yearly since 1926. As you might expect numbers rose in the early years of motoring in line with the growth in motor vehicles, then started to fall in 1983 with introduction of the seat belt law. The lowest figure to date was in 2013 with a figure of 1,713 fatalities. The 2015 report shows an overall reduction in fatalities for all road user groups except motorcycles, where the figure has risen 8% to a shocking 365 fatalities. This places motorcyclists in the highest risk category at 21% of the fatalities but only 1% of the road population. If you wish to find out more about the report it is available to view or download on the DfT website. Although few of us would wish to dwell on these figures it does highlight the relevance of all the training that we offer at TVAM.

On a cheerier note I made a reference earlier to TVAM’s membership rates which are improving. We are attracting new members at a slightly lower rate but more of us are staying, so the total membership has risen to 950 which makes us the largest of all the IAM groups.

Ride Safe

Safe Riding!

 

Pat Coneley

Chief Observer

Pat Coneley

From the Saddle (June 2016)

Posted on | by Pat Coneley

As has been the tradition for many years, we held the TVAM Observer Weekend in Llandrindod Wells recently. This weekend, held annually, is aimed at providing TVAM Observers with an opportunity to work on their observing and riding skills, catch up with the latest from the IAM and to share ideas.

The weekend is open to all TVAM Observers and Trainee Observers (TObs), and this year 40 of us enjoyed a weekend of glorious weather and the great roads that are such a feature of the mid-Wales location. One of several topics under discussion this year was the requirement for all IAM Observers to hold a professional qualification by January 2018. This is awarded at either Local Observer or National Observer level and involves an observing and riding assessment carried out by an IAM Regional Quality Manager for the National or a TVAM Assessor for the Local.

The standards set by the IAM for the National is higher than that of the Local but within TVAM we have taken the decision to only adopt the higher National Standard. We had anticipated that most TVAM Observers will choose to aim for the National and this seems to be the case. Currently we have 22 National Observers and several more in preparation, and for those electing to go the Local route we have a revised Local Observer Cross Check process so, with over 100 Observers in TVAM, we have lots to do!

In our role as Observers, one of the most valuable tools we have is the demonstration ride, whether this is a progressive run in the NSL’s or just picking our way through the traffic at 3mph, whenever an associate sees us ride it is, in effect, a demo ride. In the coaching world this is called modelling, and is how we all learned to walk and talk.

For this reason I have tried to increase the emphasis of the Observer Weekend on riding standards, and our openness to receiving feedback from each other. This year we all played the role of IAM Examiners conducting a National Observer assessment on another Observer with an IAM scoring sheet. The results of this exercise were collated and reviewed as part of a session titled Giving Bad News.

The next time you are feeling a little anxious with an Observer behind you watching every move, just remember, we know what if feels like.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in making the weekend a success, especially Simon Whatley who co-ordinated the bookings, the TVAM Training Team and the team leaders, Nick Caiger-Smith, Graham Knight, David Robinson, Pete Dalgliesh and Dave Parsons.

Safe Riding!

 

Pat Coneley

Chief Observer

Pat Coneley

From the Saddle (April 2016)

Posted on | by Pat Coneley

What do other road users think of us?

I was riding into London on the M4 on a weekday recently. I had joined the Motorway at J11 and by J9 the traffic was slowing as a result of a lane closure. Anticipating that this was going all the way to the M25 I settled into some filtering practice between lanes 2 and 3. Not being a regular commuter I tend to keep the speed well down when filtering on the basis that it hurts a lot less if it goes wrong. After a mile or so I spotted the single headlight of another bike behind me and started looking for a gap to slot into and let them pass.

As the rider, a courier on a well-used 1200 Bandit, passed me he stuck a leg out in a ‘thank you’ salute and went on his way. From my perspective this was a courteous, skilful example of a professional rider earning his living on a motorcycle, I wonder what the drivers around us thought?

The reason I pose the question is that from my experience of delivering Driver Awareness Workshops, the majority of drivers we share the road with have little idea of why we choose to ride motorcycles and many also believe that filtering on a motorway is illegal. This lack of knowledge is not helped by the fact that there is no compulsory motorway training in the UK. Annual statistics from the DfT show that motorcycles are around 1% of the total UK traffic, but we are grossly over represented at 19% of the fatalities. Because we are such a minority, most drivers do not expect us and therefore are not looking for us. Hence the high number of SMIDSY (Sorry Mate I Didn’t See You) incidents.

What can we do about this? Advanced riding standards help to mitigate the risks, but only if they are    applied consistently, which is why it is so important that we strive to ride to the best of our ability at all times.

Sadly, this is not always the case even on TVAM social rides, where a very small minority sometimes allow enthusiasm to overcome judgement causing concerns for their own and others’ safety. In the driver training world there is an acronym that could be applied here called SLAP:

Is it Safe?

Is it Legal?

Will it Achieve anything worthwhile?

How is it Perceived by those watching?

If the overtake, or any other manoeuvre that we are planning, does not pass the SLAP test, then perhaps we shouldn’t be doing it. Please ensure that TVAM social rides are a safe, welcoming environment for all levels of ability.

On a much more cheery note, if you have not read the Spring edition of the IAM Advanced Driving magazine take a look at the piece by Tony Paz on commuting – well done Tony.

 

Pat Coneley

Chief Observer

Pat Coneley

From the Saddle (February 2016)

Posted on | by Pat Coneley

It may not feel like it today, but Spring is just around the corner and the green shoots of a new biking year are appearing in the TVAM Calendar. Now is the time to plan that trip to the Alps or the Isle of Man for the TT Races. The hugely popular 7Ws is oversubscribed again with almost 100 members wishing to attend, so if you are one of the unlucky ones who didn’t get a place, remember that there will be another 7Ws in the Autumn.

On a personal note, Amanda and I have just returned from a week in Gran Canaria, biking with Canary Motorcycle Tours. Gran Canaria may be a small island but it has some fabulously twisty mountain roads and January temperatures in the mid-twenties. If this appeals to you, check out their website or see me for details, www.canarymotorcycletours.com

It hasn’t been all holidays however, the Training Team ran another successful Core Skills Days recently, where potential Trainee Observers attended a full day’s training to gain an insight into the skills needed to qualify as a TVAM Local Observer before taking their 1st Assessment with one of TVAM’s eight Assessors. Following the 1st Assessment they will be awarded a yellow TOb badge and start their live training under the watchful eye of their Mentor. We are now 12 months into the new TOb training process with 9 new Observers now qualified as IMI Local Observers, and the feedback from all those involved is excellent.

We are also preparing for the Observer Training Day on the 27th February with 90 Observers signed up so far.

The Green Team have also been busy refreshing the Social Run Course which has been rebranded as Group Riding Skills. Previously only open to Full Members, this course is now available to Associates providing they have the approval of their Observer. With both classroom and on-road content over a full day which will include Run Leading and Back Marking, it is hoped that more members will offer to lead a social run.

Leading or Back Marking a social run can be very rewarding and as with most things, the success lies in the preparation, so if you are a Full Member and would like to know more please speak to the Green Team Desk at St. Crispin’s or look in Slipstream.

It is becoming a tradition in this column to highlight one of the many who contribute to making TVAM successful and this month I would like to give a mention to our editor Salli Griffith who somehow manages to pull Slipstream together from wherever she is in the world.

Safe Riding!

 

Pat Coneley

Chief Observer